2018 ZD 50th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon
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S$15897
Vintage: 2018
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley
Winemaker Notes
The wine has a deep, complex aroma of ripe dark berries, cassis, plum, and baking spices, with hints of toasty vanilla, clove, and cola. The palate is loaded with forward dark fruits and silky, round tannins that help keep the layers of flavor present through the incredibly long finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking beautifully right now and will continue to develop complexity for many years to come.
About Winery
Founded in 1969, ZD Wines is owned and operated by the deLeuze Family. The winery is located in Rutherford, a premium Cabernet Sauvignon growing region in the heart of the Napa Valley. ZD Wines is a family business that is committed to producing world-class wines, farming organically and providing first-class hospitality to guests, all while supporting many charitable efforts locally and throughout the country. They celebrate more than 50 years of winemaking, with the second and third generations of the deLeuze family carrying on the family legacy.
ZD Wines primarily produces three core varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. The current ZD winemaking and vineyard management team have amassed a fantastic base of winemaking and vineyard management knowledge with more than 100 years of combined experience. The winemaking team is comprised of Robert deLeuze (CEO/Director of Winemaking), Chris Pisani (Senior Winemaker), Brandon deLeuze (Winemaker), and Chad McComber (Cellar Master). They combine their winemaking knowledge and use blending as their ultimate winemaking tool to craft wines of quality, consistency and style. Rafael Llamas Sr. (Estate Vineyard Manager) and his son Rafael Llamas Jr. (Hospitality, Garden Curator and Vineyard Assistant), manage ZD’s certified organic estate vineyards at the Rutherford winery, as well as the ZD Carneros Estate in Napa. The winery also maintains long-term grower relationships with vineyards in Napa, Sonoma Carneros, Monterey and Santa Barbara.
Founder Norman deLeuze believed that great wines are made from healthy vines grown in rich, living soils. ZD Wines has an in-depth history of embracing an ecologically sensitive approach to all aspects of their operation. With a focus on producing world-class wines, their certified organic vineyards promote biodiversity using the best technologies of the day, as well as time honored farming methods. The winery and vineyards use solar energy, bio fuels, composting, cover cropping, recycling, water conservation, electric vehicles, and more, to conserve and enhance our planet. ZD’s Rutherford and Carneros Estates have been certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and are certified by Fish Friendly Farming, Napa Green Winery and California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing. The winery offers an Eco Vineyard Tour at their Rutherford property where guests walk through the organic certified vineyards and learn firsthand about the winery’s eco practices.
To date, ZD Wines and The deLeuze Family Charitable Foundation have raised more than $1,000,000 to support research lead by Dr. Joseph Tuscano at the UC Davis Cancer Center. In addition to fundraising events, each week the deLeuze family and ZD team deliver healthy snacks to the Napa Valley Boys & Girls Club Teen Center. The deLeuze family also provides an annual $500 grant to each employee to gift to local charities of their choosing.
The 2018 vintage marked ZD Wines’ 50th anniversary, an incredible milestone for a small, family-owned winery committed to producing world-class wines of the highest quality. Mother Nature fulfilled our expectations for this momentous vintage by rewarding us with an outstanding growing season that has led to some amazing wines, including this 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!
Each vineyard lot was hand harvested and fermented separately in small stainless steel open-top fermenters. Hand punchdowns during fermentation ensured a gentle extraction of color and tannin. The wines were then barrel aged for ten months in American Oak, after which our first blending trial tastings occurred. Once the final blend was decided, the wine was returned to barrel and aged for another 14 months before bottling.
The wine has a deep, complex aroma of ripe dark berries, cassis, plum, and baking spices, with hints of toasty vanilla, clove, and cola. The palate is loaded with forward dark fruits and silky, round tannins that help keep the layers of flavor present through the incredibly long finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking beautifully right now and will continue to develop complexity for many years to come.
Chris Pisani, Senior Winemaker
"The wine has a deep, complex aroma of ripe dark berries, cassis, plum, and baking spices, with hints of toasty vanilla, clove, and cola. The palate is loaded with forward dark fruits and silky, round tannins that help keep the layers of flavor present through the incredibly long finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking beautifully right now and will continue to develop complexity for many years to come."
Vivino 4.6
"Dry yet bold and full bodied. Strong fruit all the way through the tasting. So good!"
